87 Helicopter Flying School SAAF
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87 Helicopter Flying School is a unit of the South African Air Force. It is a helicopter flight training school.
The Helicopter Conversion Unit was established at Ysterplaat on 1 February 1968<ref name="afmil"/> to fulfill the helicopter pilot and flight engineers training role. The present unit was formed on 9 April 1968 by redesignating Training Flight, 17 Squadron at AFB Ysterplaat.<ref name="saair"/> The unit, equipped with Alouette II and III's,<ref name="saair"/> took over responsible for Helicopter Conversion Training of SAAF pilots and training of Flight Engineers for the SAAF.<ref name="saair"/>
The Helicopter Conversion Unit became an autonomous unit in 1971 and in January 1973<ref name="saair"/> the units name changed to 87 Advanced Flying School. In 1973 the Alouette II's were retired and transferred to the Rhodesian Air Force. "B" Flight, 16 Squadron, also stationed at AFB Ysterplaat, took responsibility for advanced helicopter training from 16 September 1974 to January 1975.<ref name="saair"/>